To finish the tanning process, he stretches the deer hide on a frame and works the skin with a beveled staking tool to stretch and soften it.

1679792

Hide Caption

Rainbow Eagle Dreamer, co-founder of Wildheart Dreams, makes buckskin moccasins. Here he sorts through piles of deer hides at McLagan's Taxidermy in Bend to find the best candidates for tanning, hides with few holes.

1679793

Hide Caption

Dreamer applies a solution of deer brains and water to the deer hide to add oil and lubricate the fibers.

1679794

Hide Caption

Rainbow Eagle Dreamer runs along the river trail in a pair of running moccasins that he made.

1679795

Hide Caption

Dreamer applies a solution of deer brains and water to the deer hide to add oil and lubricate the fibers.

1679796

Hide Caption

Rainbow Eagle Dreamer, co-founder of Wildheart Dreams, makes buckskin moccasins. Here he sorts through piles of deer hides at McLagan’s Taxidermy in Bend to find the best candidates for tanning, hides with few holes.

1679797

Hide Caption

He stitches the deer skin moccasins at his home in Bend.

1679798

Hide Caption

Dreamer's finished pair of running moccasins.

1679799

Hide Caption

Ever wonder about this sign on your right as you're driving north on U.S. Highway 97? We stopped at McLagan's Taxidermy, asked what it meant and were told that you do indeed get a pair of gloves if you bring in an animal hide. These days, the gloves are from China — not from the hides themselves, as they were years ago. But people do still bring animal skins in, and artisans do make things from them. That's how we met Rainbow Eagle Dreamer.

Ever wonder about the sign on your right as you're driving north on U.S. Highway 97 that says ”Gloves for Hides”? We stopped at McLagan's Taxidermy, asked what it meant and were told that you do indeed get a pair of gloves if you bring in an animal hide. These days, the gloves are from China — not from the hides themselves, as they were years ago. But people do still bring animal skins in, and artisans do make things from them. That's how we met Rainbow Eagle Dreamer.

Odd Jobs

If you have an idea for this photographic series about unusual vocations